PFA Winners 2016: Full Awards List, Voting Results and Twitter Reaction

Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez took home the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award during Sunday’s gala, while Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli was voted PFA Young Player of the Year.

Playing an instrumental role in the Foxes’ rise to the top of the Premier League standings, Mahrez was the favourite to win the award. The PFA's official Twitter account confirmed the Algeria international as the winner:  

Sunderland's Beth Mead won the Women's PFA Young Player of the Year award, and Manchester City's Izzy Christiansen took home the Women's Player of the Year award.

Here’s a look at Sunday’s award-winners:

Player of the Year	Riyad Mahrez, Leicester City
Young Player of the Year	Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur
Women's Player of the Year	Izzy Christiansen, Manchester City
Women's Young Player of the Year	Beth Mead, Sunderland
PFA Merit Award	Ryan Giggs

For a full explanation of the voting system, visit the PFA’s official website.

Scoring an incredible 17 Premier League goals and adding 11 assists as a midfielder so far this season, per WhoScored.com, Mahrez became the first African player to win the prestigious award.

He beat out team-mates Jamie Vardy and N'Golo Kante, as well as Tottenham's Harry Kane, West Ham United's Dimitri Payet and Arsenal's Mesut Ozil. According to Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC, Vardy finished second in the voting, while Kane came in third.

Via the PFA's official Twitter account, Mahrez was happy to win the award, but he's more focused on achieving greatness with his team:

Former England international Gary Lineker never doubted Mahrez would claim the award:

Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand thought the 25-year-old was a deserved winner:

Mahrez's rise to the top of English football has been sudden, as he was playing for Le Havre in the French Ligue 2 as recently as 2014. According to Laurie Whitwell for the Daily Mail, he cost the Foxes as little as roughly £320,00.

While this award is a remarkable achievement, Mahrez's Cinderella campaign won't be complete unless he lifts the Premier League trophy as well.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

Alli played a big role in Tottenham's title challenge, emerging as one of England's top young stars in the 2015-16 campaign. The 20-year-old earned his first cap in October and only improved from that point on, and he's almost guaranteed a starting spot in the Three Lions' team that will travel to France for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2016 tournament.

The youngster couldn't be present, as Spurs will play West Bromwich Albion on Monday, but he thanked the voters with a short video, via the PFA's official Twitter account:

Alli and Kane were Spurs' nominees for the Young Player of the Year award, with Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho, Stoke City's Jack Butland and Everton's Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley also receiving nods.

It marks the fourth time in the last five years a Tottenham player took home the Young Player of the Year award.

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs was handed this year's Merit Award.

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